People use many different types and styles of writing instruments today. Many people will receive mail or letters and will open the mail or letters using a variety of methods including tearing, or cutting open a letter using a stiletto, knife, scissors or a letter opener. In addition people may use a stylus pencil or pen with their PDA to enter or select data or information. This requires the use of two or three tools i.e. the writing instrument the opener and the stylus. Several inventions have been patented or sold that combine the some of these instruments into one.
U.S. Pat. No. 844,770 issued to C. G. Bauer discloses an envelope-opener where the letter opener can be connected onto a writing instrument. A letter is placed within a guide to position the envelope for opening. As the envelope is slid into the guide, the folded portion of the letter is cut open with an “L” shaped blade. While this design can be carried inside a pocket without damage to the pocket, the invention is not designed to be clipped onto a pocket. In addition, the blade remains exposed, and there is no link from the writing tip extending mechanism to the blade protector nor is stylus present in the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,169 issued to Cheldin discloses a combination letter opener and writing instrument. The letter opener is a similar configuration to other concealed blade letter openers that are available. This patent is disclosed as both an opener that can be attached to an existing pen, and as an opener that in integrated into the writing instrument housing. In some disclosures of this invention, the point of the pen has a retractable point. While this invention provides both a writing instrument and a letter opener, the invention fails to provide a clip for maintaining the invention on a pocket. The blade has no protection mechanism that shields the blade, and there is no link from the writing tip extending mechanism to the blade protector. Further this device does not provide a stylus.
WEB site www.creativeconceptsgolf.com discloses a Swiss pen that includes a writing instrument with multi-functional tools such as scissors, knife, tweezers and flashlight. While these tools can be used to open a letter, they do not provide a blade protection mechanism, and once the blade is opened, the blade is exposed without protection. This device also does not provide a stylus.
WEB site www.glbproducts.com and other site disclose a pen where the back cap of the pen covers a stiletto blade for opening a letter. This pen provides a writing instrument with a letter-opening tool, and in some cases, the product may include a pocket clip, but the blade is fully exposed when the rear cap is removed, and the blade is not integrated into the pocket clip. In addition, there is no link from the writing tip extending mechanism to the blade protector. This device does not provide a stylus.
Design patents D483,065, D458,635, D431,598, D390,872, and D362,649 show writing instruments with a stylus integrated within the writing instrument. But none of these design patents also provide a letter opening mechanism. They further do not provide that the stylus be spring loaded to absorb some of the downward pressure from the stylus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,354 issued to Kageyama et al discloses a composite writing implement that combines a pen, pencil and a stylus tip. While this patent includes a stylus in a pen, it does not include a letter opener nor does it disclose a letter opener and stylus combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,721 issued to D'Amico et al. discloses a pen stylus combination where the pen is on one end and the stylus is on the other end. While this patent includes a stylus in a pen, it does not include a letter opener nor does it disclose a letter opener and stylus combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,743 issued to Robb discloses a pen cap for use as a stylus on touch screens. While this patent includes a pen cap that is a stylus, it does not include a letter opener nor does it disclose a letter opener and stylus combination.
Other issued patents disclose letter openers, but none of the letter openers disclose a stylus integrated within the letter opener. None of the patents disclose that the stylus is spring loaded, and none of them disclose that the pen includes a letter opener with a stylus.
What is needed is a writing instrument with a pocket clip where a letter opener is integrated into the pocket clip. The ideal invention would not damage a pocket, by either being located on the opposite side of the pocket clip or being protected when the writing point is retracted, and the blade would be exposed when the writing point is extended. This ideal product would also include a stylus for use with a PDA, touch screen or other device that requires tactile input.